Courses / Monitoring Growth

Course Content

Growth Observations
Monitoring for Growth Gametophytes Sporophytes Outplant Ready Seed Adjusting Light Intensity
Identifying and Managing Contamination
What is Contamination Diatoms Ciliates Ectocarpus spp. Green Microalgae and Macroalgae Cyanobacteria
Other Contaminants
Recordkeeping
Why Keep Records? What Information Should I Track? Staying Organized
Resources & Tools
Decision Tree: Identifying Kelp Nursery Contaminants
Download file
Hatchery Management Tracker - Spool Inventory & Data Log
Download file
Lesson 2 Identifying and Managing Contamination

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Other Contaminants

The contaminants outlined in the previous sections tend to be the most commonly observed threats to healthy kelp growth, but there are a number of other things that can enter and thrive in your culture tanks (some examples of which are pictured in the images below). While identification and remediation methods for these less common contaminants aren’t so clear, strong biosecurity practices should help prevent any contaminant from devastating a hatchery season.  

unknown film
This is an example of a filmy layer on the top of the water within a tank. It was likely some sort of bacterial growth and was eliminated with water change.
contaminant
You can see some dark microscopic growth on the strands of string in this photo. We found that this growth didn’t become overly dense in our tanks and, therefore, was not a big issue. It is still good to take note and keep track of anything other than kelp growing alongside your spools!
contaminent 2
Note the fluffy growth encapsulating the seed string; there are a few sporophytes growing, but generally all kelp growth is being smothered by this unknown contaminant.

If you see something strange, it’s always good to take a photo! You can use it for reference for future seasons or share it to the Community Kelp Hatchery topic to ask others if they’ve dealt with similar situations.